Overland and Emergency SHTF Comms? What to use?

Anak said:
And the antennas.

If you really want to communicate you need to have a couple of directional antennas.

For handheld radios you are probably best off with a backpack type yagi. These can be carried disassembled and then reassembled when needed.

Or, if you are on the fringe, you can do this:

View attachment 115405

Of course you will get some funny looks from folks. Might not be the best strategy if the SHTF. But it does work. That is a cubic quad that I can rotate while driving.
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Wow that is super cool! Any recommendation for a back pack antenna that you mentioned?
 
I have an Arrow 146-4 (Linky: Arrow 146-4 II ). I have the one with the 3 piece boom and the optional roll up bag. It makes for a very convenient portable yagi.

I have a friend who has an Elk (Probably this one: Elk 2M/440L5 ). It is probably a good unit as well.

There may be others out there.

And if you want to go cheap, look into making your own tape measure beam antenna. This could get you started down that path: DIY tape measure beam The nice thing about a tape measure is that they are practically indestructible. This is why T-hunters use them. We can poke around in bushes and trees and not worry about the elements. They will just snap right back into shape.
 
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I'm pretty new here, but I just retired after thirty years in a business that dealt with communications equipment extensively. I was also on the transition team for my departments movement to a new countywide radio system as well as being a Ham and GMRS our for over twenty five years. The reality is that even in a major earthquake or other disaster the cellular system is very unlikely to go down. Individual sites "might" be effected, but modern cell sites are built so well it is highly unlikely. When a disaster strikes the voice networks get throttled so that Public Safety networks can get through, but they usually return within hours and texting usually comes back within minutes. So the idea that you would be totally without communications is highly unlikely. That said, redundancy is always a good thing. Of all the available options, you and your wife becoming technician class hams would likely be the easiest, cheapest and most effective. There are several clubs and networks that manage linked repeaters systems in the area you indicated. Right off the bat I'd recommend the PAPA System. They have a network of 14 repeaters that cover the entire SoCal area. There are other networks out there as well, both 2 meter and 440 that would do what you want. Add to that the fact that when you travel you could use repeaters all along your route and deep inside most off road areas that are well outside of cell coverage and its a no brainer. Devices like SPOT, InReach and EPRBs are great additions but they can be expensive and aren't used all that often. So blending cost, functionality and accessibility the ham option is optimal. The tests for tech's aren't really hard these days. You can download an app on your phone that lets you practice over an over again till you get it right. Then just go take the test and your done!

Good luck in your search!

B
 
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If you really want to learn this, get into a ham radio club for a while. Participate in mock disaster drills. I did that as well as going out and testing different antenna combinations on my various vehicles. One of the things I learned from this was the ability to bounce a 2m signal. I live in Ontario and my buddy lived in Lytle creek on the other side of the mountain from me. We both had beam antennas on our homes. I would aim at Big Bear and bounce into his canyon. Worked great with 2m but had too much loss with 440.
Learn how to properly tune your antennas and experiment. Even if we never get a devastating disaster, your vehicle comms with work better.

@Anak HEH....Now I don't feel like too much of a geek with my three element 2m beam I had for my tracking set up. Ahh the looks I got from that thing.
 
I was originally going to suggest a PLB but the OP required 2 way messaging. PLB is a one time cost item for the shelf life of the unit. Registration with the COSPAS/SARSAT system is free.

There are units out there with a sub 300 dollar price tag.

Downside is its a single purpose item. And that is to call in the Cavalry when youre out of options and in danger. But i cant think of a more reliable option than a registered PLB with a 406mhz beacon.
 
Food for thought.
Major disaster....satellite comms are now flooded with messages. I wonder if they could handle the traffic. They are now more popular than ever. I really don't think one could use data from anything past two years ago.

I have a disaster plan set up with a few people. Our go to is 2m and simplex with beam antennas. Has to be on house to clear buildings and trees. We talk on it occasionally to make sure all is well.
 
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I don't trust satellite phones. We had them at my old job and they didn't work well at all. We tried both Iridium and GlobalStar and neither worked very well. Very expensive too!
 
Smritte, VHF simplex is probably my favorite form of communication! When all else fails, it just works! It's too bad that GMRS wasn't put on VHF, but at the time GMRS was conceived the VHF spectrum was pretty crowded. With Public Safety moving in droves to 700-800Mhz, the VHF band is much more open. But UHF is pretty darn good too! We used it for the last twenty plus years at my job and it served us well.

I'm so glad that Midland came out with those MXT mobile units. They are what we should have had for CB's many years ago. The clarity of FM vs AM, the small antennas, and the lack of skip potential are all perfect for what we need, which is a 1-10 mile radio and GMRS certainly does that. I hope that in the future they will add more channels and make it more like the Australian UHF CB system. Truly very functional!
 
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TheBronze said:
Smritte, VHF simplex is probably my favorite form of communication! When all else fails, it just works! It's too bad that GMRS wasn't put on VHF, but at the time GMRS was conceived the VHF spectrum was pretty crowded. With Public Safety moving in droves to 700-800Mhz, the VHF band is much more open. But UHF is pretty darn good too! We used it for the last twenty plus years at my job and it served us well.

I'm so glad that Midland came out with those MXT mobile units. They are what we should have had for CB's many years ago. The clarity of FM vs AM, the small antennas, and the lack of skip potential are all perfect for what we need, which is a 1-10 mile radio and GMRS certainly does that. I hope that in the future they will add more channels and make it more like the Australian UHF CB system. Truly very functional!
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I totally agree.
The only reason I don't have any GMRS gear is no one I know has any and I don't feel like opening up my Yasue to cover it. When I see people talk about it, their confusing GMRS with FRS. Yes the both work together but, people go and buy a $10 FRS with a 1mw output and think their set for all their comms. Then they comment that Ham is too expensive.
This is something I keep running into with taking new people out on trail rides. Dead batteries in 3 hours and they cant communicate once we get spread out due to dust. I have to treat it like a group without radio.
 
You're so right. Different people on different systems is a PITA every time. Those little FRS/GMRS hand held radios are really only good for camp and spotting. Maybe car to car if you are very close. It seems like since the Midland MXT radios came out more and more off-roaders are switching to GMRS. The 15 watt model and an external antenna should be good for 3-5 miles easy. That' s a good usable range. Plus, being hard wired you don't have to worry about batteries and the antennas are so much easier. I'm likely going to install one of these myself so that I always have it available. I can use various hand held radios for Ham stuff but I don't want to have expensive Motorola gear in the Jeep. They aren't exactly secure!
 
TheBronze said:
You're so right. Different people on different systems is a PITA every time. Those little FRS/GMRS handheld radios are really only good for camp and spotting. Maybe car to car if you are very close. It seems like since the Midland MXT radios came out more and more off-roaders are switching to GMRS. The 15 watt model and an external antenna should be good for 3-5 miles easy. That' s a good usable range. Plus, being hard wired you don't have to worry about batteries and the antennas are so much easier. I'm likely going to install one of these myself so that I always have it available. I can use various handheld radios for Ham stuff but I don't want to have expensive Motorola gear in the Jeep. They aren't exactly secure!
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It has been getting a tad bit confusing with Trail Rigs, everyone now using GMRS in addition to CB/HAM. Personally i have a Yeasu FT-1500M in my rig (well kinda.... still working on mounting it) to work the ARES net locally, and a Yaesu 50r/Radio Shack HTX-200 for handheld comms. Adding an under-seat mount CB like the Uniden at some point, I do have a Midland handheld. This translates into me receiving a message for the group from 2m and then relaying it over CB for those that have CB's, and they, in turn, relay it over FRS/GMRS. I guess if I was part of a local group that decided on a consistent radio plan, I would go with that, but I am not and everyone I go with has a different idea of what's best. I was going to put a dual band rig in, an FT-7800 or something, or program the 50r for GMRS/FRS on 440, but... honestly, it seems too much like work.

In a SHTF scenario, I plan on listening a lot more than talking, and ...... CB/HAM/GMRS all pretty much suck locally. So does Cell service. Very unreliable here. (Hey, Vermont has a lot of hills, and very little line of sight).

So I guess to get back on topic, I would respond by saying, find out what is used most in your area, and/or the areas you are traveling to. Pointless to invest in a high-end rig, only to find out everyone in the area is on CB. Most of my gear was purchased when I was active in the local Ham Radio club, and when I was interested in ARES/RACES/CERT. If your travels are taking you away from home to remote locations, then HF is the way to go, as well as a General or Advanced license.
 
Im not typically a group run kind of guy but when i was stationed in California i was part of the Southern California Off Road Explorers. One of the only groups i enjoied being around for any period of time.

Anyway back on the radio topic they didnt require you to be a Ham radio operator but it was STRONGLY ENCOURAGED that uou get your tech license because without you were talking to no one. Only a few of us were running CB along with HAM and no one had GMRS/FRS. Suprsingly the vast majority of the group wound up licensed.

Ive drawn up a comm plan for the local Jeep Group im a part of but very few even run CB let alone anything else. Ive had some luck with getting folks to go GMRS but zero having them go HAM.
 
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